Courtesy: X
In a horror moment on the football field, a player was killed and five others were left injured as lightning struck during a regional tournament in Huancayo, Peru. The name of the deceased player was Jose Hugo de la Cruz Meza, 39, who passed away instantly as he fell face first to the ground after the lighting bolt struck him, while Juan Chocca Llacta, 40, was taken to the hospital with serious body burns after he was severely impacted by the direct strike.
The lightning strike on the ground occurred moments after the referee had ordered the game to be halted as the rumbling thunder echoed in the stadium. Apart from Juan Chocca Llacta, the two teenage players as well as Cristian Cesar Pituy Chauana, 24, who were in the firing line of the lightning strike, are all reportedly “stable” in the hospital, as per the report from the Mirror.
Football match was stopped just before lightning strike made its impact
Notably, the incident happened during a match between Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca in a regional tournament, which is being held currently in Huancayo, Peru. After Juventud Bellavista were 2-0 to the good against Familia Chocca in the 22nd minute, the referee had put a stop to the match with the lighting strike imminent in the stadium, but unfortunately, it wasn’t in time for Jose Hugo de la Cruz Meza.
Following the abandonment of the match, there were calls about enhancing security protocols in areas like Huancayo, Peru, which is more than 10,000 feet above the sea level. Engineer Lucho Duarte addressed the tragedy, and said, “This terrible incident reminds us of the importance of protection against lightning, especially in open-air events. We need to implement protective systems in sports installations and security protocols involving the immediate suspension of activities during storms.”
